New York City’s education department has banned access to ChatGPT, a chatbot that uses machine learning to craft realistic text, out of concern for “safety and accuracy.”As first reported by Chalkbeat New York, the ban will apply to devices and internet networks belonging to the education department.“Due to concerns about negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content, access to ChatGPT is restricted on New York City Public Schools’ networks and devices,” education department spokesperson Jenna Lyle told Motherboard in a statement.“While the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success.”OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022.Even OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman doesn’t think it’s that good; he tweeted last month that “ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness,” and that it’s “a mistake to be relying on it for anything important right now.”At the same time, some teachers are reportedly “in a near-panic” about the technology enabling students to cheat on assignments, according to the Washington Post.When I asked ChatGPT what it thought about the ban, it gave an impartial response: “It is important to consider the potential risks and benefits of using ChatGPT in education, and to carefully weigh the evidence before making a decision."